Chibi Akira Ouji Sama
by Aya-kun Rose
Summary: AU Akira is a young prince in search of a friend.


Chibi Akira Ouji-Sama

Once upon a time, there lived a little prince. His name was Prince Akira, and he was the cutest bishounen in all the kingdom. His father was the most powerful king for miles around, and his courts were filled with only the most noble personages.

Little Prince Akira was lonely, though. His only companions were the court wizard, the court jester, and his steward. Sai, the wizard, taught him many things, but Prince Akira was still lonely. The jester, Akari made him laugh, but still Prince Akira was lonely. Tsutsui the steward brought him everything Prince Akira asked for, but still he was lonely.

One day, while walking alone through the palace gardens, Little Prince Akira spotted a commoner sitting under a royal tree. Prince Akira was at first frightened of the stranger, but soon became angered that a peasant had entered the garden. He made himself look as regal as possible in his bishounen way, and approached the intruder.

Before he could say anything, though, the commoner sprang to his feet and ran away. Prince Akira was left under the tree with the fading image of a handsome boy his age, and a white Go stone.

Prince Akira thoughts were continually occupied with the vanished boy for several days afterward. When the king queried about what was troubling his son, Prince Akira could only shake his head with no reply.

Finally, Prince Akira sought the advice of Akari the jester.

"Jester," he said to her one day, "please help me solve my problem! I have only thought of the boy who fled from the gardens for many a day and night. What do you advise?"

But the jester only laughed. "Don't be so silly, Prince! 'Twas but a commoner! You need not dwell on him any longer! Now come, and I will amuse you with my pathetic and comical antics!" Little Prince Akira was amused by her pathetic and comical antics, but the boy remained on his mind.

A few days hence, Prince Akira sought the advice of Tsutsui his steward.

"Steward," he said to him one day, "please help me solve my problem! I have only thought of the boy who fled from the gardens for many a day and night, and the jester could not help me. What do you advise?"

Tsutsui thought for a moment, then pulled out his steward's manual. "I'm sorry, my Lord, but I am ill-equipped to advise you in this situation. If you'd like, I can bring you a new toy, instead." Little Prince Akira played with his new toy, but the boy remained on his mind.

Unable to clear his thoughts, Prince Akira sought the advice of Sai the court wizard.

"Wizard," he said to him one day, "please help me solve my problem! I have only thought of the boy who fled from the gardens for many a day and night, and neither the jester nor my steward could help me. What do you advise?"

Sai placed a Go stone on the board, as it was his turn, but sat there quietly. After a moment, he looked at the little bishounen prince. "He dropped a white Go stone, did he not?" Prince Akira nodded. "I advise you to call a great Go tournament for all the land. The winner can have the prize of playing against you, Your Highness. The boy who fled from the gardens will undoubtedly appear."

The preparations were laid out, and the Great Go Tournament was advertised in kingdoms in all directions. Prince Akira waited anxiously for the tournament day to arrive, so that he might finally see the mysterious boy again.

Go players from every kingdom poured into the castle for the Great Tournament. Big ones, small ones, old ones, young ones, players from distant lands, players from the kingdom's own cities; Prince Akira watched them all. But he could not find a trace of the one he had hoped to see.

The Tournament commenced, and the little prince could only hope that he had somehow overlooked the boy in the crowd of Go players. Seated with his three former advisors, Prince Akira surveyed the events with disinterest. While the matches were well played and the skill of all the players was outstanding, he had no eye for them. Despite of the wizard's advice, the boy from the garden was still on his mind.

The last of the matches ended, and the competitors cleaned up their boards. The tournament victor approached the seat of Prince Akira. Sadly, the bishounen prince found that the winner was not the intruder he had tried to locate. Etiquette led the prince to accept the game, and he soon was playing against the noble baron who had won the Great Tournament.

Glass stones of opposite colors filled the board. Prince Akira found himself evenly matched. He laid his black pieces with care, but his opponent's white ones always seemed to know his move in advance. The game continued until the wizard whispered in the prince's ear.

"Your Highness, I detect with my magic that your opponent has a guardian fairy aiding him somehow. I recognize the fairy as being Mitani, the fairy of metamorphosis."

The bishounen prince suddenly placed the white stone, the same one he had found in the garden, in the middle of the board.

"Fairy Mitani!" he called out, "Reveal to me the true nature of my opponent!"

The baron was surrounded by a bright light. When the people of the court were able to turn back again, they saw a commoner, a boy of the prince's age, sitting across from the prince himself. A small, red-haired fairy floated above the boy.

To everyone's surprise, Little Prince Akira jumped up and hugged the strange boy.

"If you stay with me here in the castle and play Go with me, I shall never be lonely again!" he exclaimed. "Tell me, what is your name?"

"Hikaru," the boy said shyly.

"Hikaru, would you stay with me?"

"Of course, Little Prince Akira, that was why I sat under your royal tree in the first place," Hikaru replied.

Everyone in the court, especially the two new friends, smiled with joy. The wizard Sai turned to the fairy Mitani and said, "We have done good here today, now it is time for us to go."

And with that, the wizard and the fairy were never seen again. Hikaru and Prince Akira thought of them often, for they were grateful of all they had done for them. Together they played Go day after day, and they all lived happily ever after.


End file.
